Building a meaningful relationship with your child requires a lot of work. You need to develop and maintain a strong connection that will one day be able to withstand all the highs and lows that come with being a parent. As parents also have to juggle a number of other commitments, ranging from the mundane such as keeping the house clean and making sure there’s food on the table, to the more demanding ones such as building a successful career. Creating and maintaining a positive connection with your kid doesn’t have to be hard, so make sure you go over the following tips carefully.

1. Treat your kid like a friend

A lot of parents would agree that the best way to treat your child is to establish a degree of civility and honest friendship you would normally have with your best friend. If your bestie forgets something at your place, you would simply call and let them know so they don’t have to worry. The same should be applied to your relationship with your kid.

If they forget their backpack or lunchbox at school, you should work on taking a more positive approach towards solving the issue instead of getting upset and creating a stressful situation. Using positive action to solve problems will let your kid know they can count on your help without the unnecessary stress that is yelling and making a scene out of the smallest of things.

2. Be empathetic and supportive

Your child will make mistakes. Some will be small and insignificant and some will simply knock you out of your comfort zone. During times like those, it’s easy to forget that you’re dealing with a child and let our judgment get the better of us. That said, behavior like this does nothing to educate your child regarding their mistakes, nor does it do anything for your relationship except making it needlessly more difficult. As a parent, you need to place yourself in your child’s shoes and look at the issue at hand from their perspective. Avoid isolating your kid for bad behavior and try to support them by showing authentic kindness and empathy.

3. Be present

It’s important to be present during the early stage of your child’s development. You don’t have to shower them with attention every waking moment and simply be there. If your child was detached or disconnected too early because you were busy with your work-related obligations, always try to make up for the time you were away. This will show your child that although you might be busy, they can still depend and rely on you being there for them.

4. Work together

The best way to teach something to a kid is to show them by example. The reason behind this is that small children want to be just like their parents. Even if they’re not obvious about it, your children will pick up on your behavior and over time, make it their own. Whether it’s baking, cooking, helping set up the table or making something in the garage, working together with your kid will help them build competence and confidence and strengthen the bond you have with them.

5. Believe in your child

Every child should know that their parents are there for them and that they believe in their future. One of the most crucial aspects of their future is, without a doubt, their education. It’s never too early to start setting aside funds to support and promote their education, but at the same time, it’s not easy either. Make sure to go over every available financial option, including the best ROI colleges, available scholarships, and low-interest college loans. Once you have all the information, you can work on creating the best financial plan to ensure your child has a bright future in front them.

Every parent wants to have that perfect relationship with their kid. And no matter how hectic our daily lives may be, it’s important to shower our children with thoughtful and positive attention and constantly work in improving and reaffirming their relationship to us and our relationship to them. Lead with a positive behavior and you can rest assured that your child will one day do the same.

About Claire:

Claire is a personal and professional development expert who believes that a positive attitude is one of the keys to success. You can find her online writing and giving tips about lifestyle and development as a regular contributor at highstylife.com.